Deliverance
by Fire Dragon of Darkness
Summary: Jonouchi Katsuya is institutionalized for an unknown period of time due to the tragic circumstances of his family's murder. He soon meets Seto Kaiba, a new psychiatrist whose unconventional methods will finally get Jou to respond after months of silence.


Deliverance  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Author: Fire Dragon of Darkness  
  
  
  
E-mail: SGBA2815@hotmail.com  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: The characters and anything else Yugioh related you might find here obviously do not belong to me. What I do own is the original storyline (I personally have never seen it done before so I'm hoping it's original and stays that way).  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: This is my second YGO story, so it's a little better than my first one, at least its more angsty, but still not too great in my opinion as I'm a bit of a critic, especially to myself. Feel free to read my first story Shadow Games, which is more typical of the YGO fandom in plot, if that's what you're looking for. As for this story, its pretty much AU, so if anyone's OOC, it doesn't really matter.  
  
  
  
Now that I'm through with all that, here's the prologue to my brand new story Deliverance.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Deliverance... Redemption... Salvation... All mean more or less the same thing. 'Freedom from sin, destruction and or evil.' I had never noticed until now that if you took the first three letters out of each you'd get DRS. As in doctors abbreviated. Ironic isn't it? Doctors... Saviors in white lab coats. At least that's what they tell me. If you had asked me only a few months ago 'who exactly are they?' then you would have probably received a crystal clear answer. But now...now I'm not so sure. What I do know is that they are the reason I'm here for who knows how long. Knowing my doctors, it's probably until I gain deliverance... redemption... salvation. If that's the case, then I guess I'll be here forever...  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
BRRIINNGG.... ... ...BRRIINNGG...  
  
  
  
The shrill ringing of a telephone woke a petite tri-colored hair boy from his slumber. He switched the lamp atop his nightstand on to find his best friend still sound asleep. Rubbing his heavy-lidded eyes with one hand, he grabbed the phone of the hook and mustered a tired "Hello?"  
  
  
  
"This Detective Takahashi [1] from the Domino City Police Department. May I speak to a Jonouchi Katsuya?"  
  
  
  
"Of course, but how did you know he would be here?"  
  
  
  
"Is this not the Mutou residence?"  
  
  
  
"It is, but..."  
  
  
  
"The Mutous were listed as emergency contacts, which is why we called this number as there is a matter concerning Katsuya's family that I must discuss with him."  
  
  
  
"Alright then, I'll go get him." He gently laid the receiver down and turned to lightly shake the resting boy next to him.  
  
  
  
"Wake up Jou."  
  
  
  
The blond muttered something incoherent, while a lean arm flailed about, knocking Yugi to the cold floor in the process. Hearing a loud yelp and the thud of a body hitting the hard ground, his brown eyes flew open.  
  
  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
  
  
"Down here," came the weak response.  
  
  
  
Leaning over the bed, Jou saw his best friend, now a crumpled heap on the bedroom floor.  
  
  
  
"Shit, I'm sorry. You alright?"  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Uh...there's some detective on the phone for you. Something to do with your family. Sounds like it's pretty important since they took all the trouble to reach you here."  
  
  
  
The taller boy nodded and grabbed the phone off the nightstand, sending the violet-eyed boy an apologetic look.  
  
  
  
"Hello?"  
  
  
  
"Is this Jonouchi Katsuya?" The voice on the line was very firm and businesslike.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, you have something you wanted to talk to me about?" Jou was extremely tired and annoyed at the fact that someone would interrupt his much needed sleep with a phone at such an early hour.  
  
  
  
"This is detective Takahashi from the Domino City Police Department. I have some news that you may want to be sitting down for."  
  
  
  
"...why?" The blond was growing more puzzled as each second went by.  
  
  
  
"I don't know how to tell you this, but there was a fire a short while ago at your residence. We believe that it began in the kitchen and eventually spread to the rest of your house. Firefighters were able to contain it before it reached your neighbors, but I'm sorry to say that nearly everything has been destroyed."  
  
  
  
Jou stood up and began to pace. "So... is my father dead?" Yugi gave him a sympathetic look.   
  
  
  
"We're still looking into it, but most likely yes. I'm terribly sorry for your loss."   
  
  
  
"I...I really don't know what to say."  
  
  
  
"Take as much time as you want."  
  
  
  
"Um...do you know how this happened?"   
  
  
  
"There looks to be signs of arson and we believe that several people were involved. Our theory is that most likely the kitchen window was broken in and then gasoline was poured in and around the house. Once the perpetrators felt the house was covered in enough gas, oil and whatnot, several matched were lit and tossed in."  
  
  
  
"Why the hell would anyone want to do this?"  
  
  
  
"We think that...can you hold on for a moment? Some new evidence has just been recovered."  
  
  
  
"Jou?" came the timid voice of his best friend.  
  
  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry. About your dad I mean."  
  
  
  
"It's okay. Really."  
  
  
  
"I'll go make some tea. It'll help you relax because I'm sure you must be extremely shocked and stressed right now."  
  
  
  
"Sure," he smiled slightly. 'That boy was too nice for his own good,' he thought to himself. But once Yugi left, Jou felt uneasy. Instead of feeling the sorrow of a parent passing away, he felt a wave of relief and it made him feel incredibly guilty. Before he could ponder this any further, the detective's voice returned.  
  
  
  
"Katsuya?" Jou flinched slightly and then frowned. No one ever called him that anymore aside from his father.  
  
  
  
"It's just Jou."  
  
  
  
"Well, Jou, we have received some more news."  
  
  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
  
  
"There were three bodies found at the scene. Two adult, the third a child. We believe them to be your parents and baby sister."  
  
  
  
"But...that's just not possible. My parents have been divorced for years and Shizuka lives with our mother in an entirely different city. And it's like four in the morning right now. No one in their right mind would be traveling at this time."  
  
  
  
"We will look into this further, but there's no reason for us not to believe that your family was in the house during the fire. Perhaps there was a chance for reconciliation between your parents or maybe even a surprise visit? That would certainly explain why your both mother and sister arrived late at your home last night."  
  
  
  
Jou snorted. "There's absolutely no way my parents would get back together and my mother would never bring Shizuka around here, especially at this hour. Are you positive it wasn't one of my dad's beer buddies or something?"  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry Jou, but investigators at the scene have also found a suitcase that wasn't too badly burned in the fire."  
  
  
  
"What's your point?"  
  
  
  
"In it were some women's and girls' clothing, along with some ID and two train tickets, both purchased by Mrs. Kawai." Detective Takahashi paused. "That is your mother's maiden name isn't it?"   
  
  
  
Jou felt himself grow faint. 'No, not Shizuka.'  
  
  
  
"Jou?" The voice on the other line actually sounded concerned.   
  
  
  
Jou was broken out of his momentary stupor. "Uh, yeah...Sorry 'bout that."  
  
  
  
"It's completely alright. I understand that a lot must be going through your mind right now." The detective sighed. "I just hate that I have to add on to it."  
  
  
  
The blond's short-lived wave of nausea returned with a vengeance.  
  
  
  
"We also have evidence now that the fire was cause by a gang located near your area as there was some graffiti found near where the fire was. Photos of it and the rest of the area surrounding the house were taken earlier by the crime scene photographer. Damn, I need my glasses for this." Jou heard a fumbling of sorts before the detective's voice returned. "It looks like a signature of some sort. Tell me, are you familiar with a Hirutani?"  
  
  
  
The phone abruptly fell to the floor, along with the boy who was holding it second before.  
  
  
  
Moments later, the sound of a mug of tea hitting the floor and shattering to pieces rang throughout the room.   
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
[Six months later]  
  
  
  
Some considered me lucky. No white padded room or constricting straitjacket. Nope, not at all. I lived in what resembled a cheap motel room, only cleaner and minus the stench of sex and alcohol of course. After all, this is one of the finest mental hospitals in the country. Just a medium sized bedroom and bathroom here. They even trusted me enough to have included a medicine cabinet complete with glass mirror. Apparently, I'm considered as one of the 'saner' ones. Just shows how much they know.   
  
  
  
What I'd really like to know is who defined this so-called line between sanity and insanity anyway? I mean who can really say they're completely sane nowadays? What makes someone 'crazy'? Am I? Simply, because I can't feel anything but numb? If that's the case, why aren't those damn shrinks in here too? They're all pretty much devoid of any emotion. Most of them are obviously alone-why else would anyone be here voluntarily?   
  
  
  
Is it really fair to have my fate in the hands of some bitter old spinster or hermit? Doctors, day in and out, treating me like an invalid, like I'm fragile or something. An expensive crystal vase balancing on the edge of a table, an inch or two from becoming completely stable or shattering into a million diamond pieces. Face it, I'm falling and there's no one to save me. I'm completely alone and no one can hear me scream. Is this what the rest of my existence will be like? People here thinking they can 'help' me, but then quitting because I'm supposedly too lost?   
  
  
  
Fucking hypocrites. Every last one of them. Always saying they're going to 'save' me in any way possible, no matter how long it takes, but they always leave. If all of them quit on me, the allegedly sane one, then I pity everyone else in here. Nothing matters anymore because they'll all end up abandoning me sooner or later once things get only a little bit tough so I'm always going to be worse off than when I started. A vicious never-ending cycle that will ultimately lead to my self-destruction.   
  
  
  
Stupid me and my naivety. I spent my life believing that doctors were here to help. Was this wrong of me? Then, I guess I don't know anything anymore. Come to think of it, maybe I never really did.  
  
  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N:  
  
[1] Takahashi as in the creator of Yugioh.  
  
  
  
Anyway, that was the prologue. Personally, I thought it pretty much sucked even though I spent tons of my free time on it. If you're a little confused so far, don't worry; I'm probably twice as puzzled as you are even though I wrote this. This chapter was mostly Jou-centric, but other characters will be mentioned here and there. The main characters will be Jou and Seto and there will be some Bakura, Mai and possibly Yugi.   
  
  
  
Please read and review and tell me what you think and if I should continue. It'll make my day or kill my spirits, depending if you're feeling generous or just plain mean. The first official chapter to this is practically done and will be posted as soon as I have time off from school, which will probably be around Thanksgiving. And can anyone help me with the HTML, because I only somewhat know how to do it and don't want to fuck up anything on this story or my computer. Even though it's sort of irrelevant, I was also wondering if there's a way to use symbols in your story and have them upload properly on FF.net? Because I'm annoyed by always having *~*~*~* separate parts of my story and I had a pretty good symbol to use that fitted this story nicely. So if you can help me, leave a message in your review or e-mail me at the address in the beginning of this story. Thanks.  
  
  
  
Edit: 04.30.04 


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